New research is raising important questions about the nutritional quality of our food, widespread micronutrient shortfalls and the impact of popular weight-loss medications. Against this backdrop, we argue that proposals to restrict vitamin and mineral strengths across Europe deserve particularly careful scrutiny.

We are frequently told that a healthy, balanced diet should provide all the vitamins and minerals we need. It’s an appealing idea, and one we wholeheartedly support as a starting point. Good nutrition should always begin with good food.

But increasingly, research suggests that the reality is more complicated. From declining concentrations of some nutrients in crops to widespread shortfalls in essential vitamins and minerals, there is growing evidence that adequate nutrition from a ‘Balanced Diet’ cannot simply be taken for granted.

And now, with millions of people using medications that significantly reduce their food intake, the question is becoming even more relevant. At the same time, the European Union is working towards harmonised Maximum Permitted Levels (MPLs) for vitamins and minerals in food supplements.

Shouldn’t we be looking at the full picture of nutritional health before introducing restrictions that could limit access to supplements currently available to European consumers?

Are our foods becoming less nutritious?

On 8 October, The Independent published an article asking why some vegetables appear to be less nutritious than they were 60 years ago.

It reports on research from Deep Science Ventures suggesting that some commonly consumed crops have experienced substantial declines in concentrations of particular nutrients over recent decades. According to the researchers, certain cereals, carrots, apples and peas have shown reductions of between 20% and 50% in some nutrients.

The research, published in a report called Hollow Harvests, examines how decades of agricultural development focused heavily on increasing crop yields may have affected nutritional quality.

There are important qualifications. Nutrient concentrations vary between crops, varieties and growing conditions, and the research certainly doesn’t establish that all modern vegetables are dramatically less nutritious.

But it adds to a growing discussion about something important: when we measure agricultural success by the amount of food produced, are we paying enough attention to the nutritional value of that food?

An AgNavigator investigation published in October explores the same research and the debate surrounding it.

Nutritional shortfalls aren’t theoretical

Whatever the debate around changing nutrient density in crops, we already have compelling evidence that many people aren’t obtaining enough essential nutrients from their diets.

And some of the strongest evidence comes from Ireland. Research using Ireland’s National Adult Nutrition Survey II found significant proportions of Irish adults had inadequate intakes of several essential nutrients.

Among adults aged 19–64, researchers reported inadequate intakes of vitamin D, vitamin C, folate, calcium, zinc and vitamin B6, with 61% having inadequate vitamin D intake, 41% vitamin C and 37% folate.

The researchers concluded that substantial numbers of Irish adults were not consuming adequate amounts of important micronutrients.

You can read the Irish research here.

Of course, inadequate dietary intake isn’t the same thing as a diagnosed clinical deficiency. But it does demonstrate that meeting nutritional requirements through everyday diets is far from guaranteed.

More recently, a European study published in 2026 examined dietary surveys from Ireland, the Netherlands, France and the UK and identified persistent inadequacies and declining intakes of several micronutrients across population groups.

Significantly, the authors said that nutritional inadequacy and long-term intake trends should be considered when developing maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals.

Nutritional safety must surely include protection against insufficient intake as well as excessive intake.

Ireland’s vitamin D problem

Vitamin D is a particularly good example of why the idea that everyone can simply obtain what they need from a balanced diet is problematic.

Ireland’s geographical location means that for much of the year sunlight is insufficient for our bodies to produce meaningful amounts of vitamin D, while naturally occurring dietary sources are limited.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s own guidance acknowledges the problem and recommends vitamin D supplementation for much of the population, with recommendations varying according to age and circumstances.

This doesn’t mean that every person needs a high-strength vitamin D supplement. But it demonstrates something important: sometimes diet alone simply isn’t the whole answer.

Different populations, age groups and individuals have different circumstances and requirements. Any EU-wide approach needs to be capable of recognising that reality.

And now we have GLP-1s

Another major change is happening remarkably quickly: the growing use of GLP-1-based weight-loss medications. Because they reduce appetite and food consumption, researchers are increasingly looking at their potential nutritional consequences.

In January, researchers from University College London and the University of Cambridge warned that people using weight-loss medications without appropriate dietary support may be vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies.

Their research found evidence that the medications can reduce calorie intake by approximately 16–39%.

You can read the UCL report here.

Harvard Health has also reported on research examining the potential for vitamin and mineral deficiencies among people using GLP-1 medicines. This highlights a rapidly growing group of people whose nutritional intake may need particular attention.

If people are eating substantially less food, ensuring they still obtain adequate amounts of essential nutrients becomes more, not less, important.

Nutritional safety works both ways

Protecting consumers from excessive nutrient intake is a legitimate objective. Some vitamins and minerals can cause harm when consumed in excessive quantities, and appropriate safeguards are important.

Save Our Supplements isn’t arguing otherwise. But this is only one side of nutritional safety.

Insufficient intake of essential nutrients also has consequences.

If substantial numbers of Europeans already fail to obtain recommended amounts of important micronutrients, it is reasonable to ask whether proposed restrictions have been fully assessed against the nutritional reality of the population.

This becomes even more important when we consider differences in geography, age, dietary habits and health circumstances – and major new developments such as widespread GLP-1 use.

What Save Our Supplements is asking for

We support evidence-based, proportionate regulation that considers both the risks of excessive intake and the consequences of nutritional inadequacy.

Before introducing harmonised maximum levels that could remove existing supplement strengths from the Irish market, European policymakers should consider current evidence of micronutrient inadequacy; changing dietary patterns and the impact of new medications; differences between countries and population groups; and whether the proposed limits are proportionate to demonstrated risks.

Most importantly, there should be a proper assessment of the potential consequences for consumers who currently use supplements to support their nutritional intake.

A balanced diet is the goal. Policy must reflect reality.

Nobody is suggesting that supplements should replace a healthy diet.

Good food, sustainable agriculture and better public understanding of nutrition should remain fundamental public-health priorities.

But evidence from Ireland and elsewhere shows that eating a balanced diet in theory and achieving adequate nutrient intake in practice are not necessarily the same thing.

Against that background, this is not the moment to make assumptions about what everyone should be able to obtain from food.

It is the moment to examine the evidence carefully.

European supplement policy should protect people from too much –  without overlooking the risks of too little.

Save Our Supplements is calling for a pause in the development of restrictive EU maximum permitted levels until the scientific evidence, nutritional implications and potential impact on consumers have been fully considered.